Transport Scotland launches closed roads consultation

03

Dec

2018

Motorsport UK welcomes the news that Transport Scotland has launched a public consultation on proposals to enable motorsport on closed public roads.

Closed-road events help organisers take the sport to new audiences and deliver an economic boost to local hosting communities. As the sport’s governing body, Motorsport UK has spent many years campaigning for new laws to allow these events in all four nations of the United Kingdom.

New powers enabling closed-road motorsport came into effect in England in April 2017, and in Wales in February 2018. Closed-road motorsport was already possible across Northern Ireland, where road closure orders have made famous events possible for decades.

In its consultation, Transport Scotland is seeking views on a possible event application process involving the relevant governing bodies and local authorities. The consultation can be found here and the deadline for responses is midnight on 28 January 2019.

Motorsport UK and Scottish Motor Sports (SMS), the umbrella organisation representing the interests of both two- and four-wheel motorsport in Scotland, recently attended a meeting of the advisory group that assisted in developing the consultation.

David Richards, Chairman of Motorsport UK, said: “This is fantastic news and takes us a step closer to seeing closed-road motorsport right across the UK. Motorsport UK is committed to promoting the sport in all its forms and new closed-road regulations would create a wealth of opportunities to do just that. We urge the motorsport community to respond positively to the consultation and help us realise the possibility of a new generation of closed-road events in Scotland.”

Tom Purves, Chairman of Scottish Motor Sports (SMS), said: “This is an important step on the road back to closed-road motorsport in Scotland. It is now vital that the Scottish motorsport community gets behind this consultation and delivers a clear message of support for these proposals, which would allow us not only to revive world-renowned events but also to take different forms of motorsport to new parts of our country.”

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